Abstract
Information on intoxication of livestock by plants in Brazil, in terms of cause, clinical signs and pathology, is compared with information on livestock poisoning by plants in South Africa. Plant poisoning, including mycotoxicosis, is considered to be one of three major causes of death in livestock in Brazil, which is one of the top beef producing countries in the world, with a cattle population of more than 200 million. Cattle production in South Africa is on a more modest scale, but with some 600 species of plants and fungi known to cause toxicity in livestock, as opposed to some 130 species in Brazil, the risk to livestock in South Africa appears to be much greater. The comparisons discussed in this communication are largely restricted to ruminants.
Highlights
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Data from the southern states of Brazil indicate that, on average, 10% – 14% of cattle deaths investigated by laboratories involve plant poisoning, and if this is extrapolated to the rest of the country, between 800 000 and 1 120 000 cattle are lost to plant poisoning every year
Southern Africa has about 600 species of plants known to cause poisoning of livestock, and the total cost of plant poisoning and mycotoxicoses to the livestock industry in South Africa was estimated at ZAR 150 million (Kellerman et al 2005)
Summary
Read online: Scan this QR code with your smart phone or mobile device to read online. Information on intoxication of livestock by plants in Brazil, in terms of cause, clinical signs and pathology, is compared with information on livestock poisoning by plants in South Africa.
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